Orders, Decorations and Medals

Mr Gordon Henry Cooke, Indian Civil Service, one of five civil officers of the Survey Department who took part in the Looshai Expedition of 1871-72

India General Service 1854-95, 1 clasp, Looshai (G. H. Cooke, Revenue Survey Dept.) very fine and scarce
£400-500

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of India General Service Medals 1854-95.

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Ex Tamplin Collection DNW Sept 03.

Gordon Henry Cooke was employed in the Indian Civil Service for some 30 years. He joined the Survey of India Department on 6 December 1866, having previously been employed as a Signaller in the Signal Office of the Electric Telegraph Department at Lahore. In 1868 he was a 2nd Class Assistant Surveyor in the Revenue Survey at Hazareebough, and in May 1871 he was appointed an Assistant Superintendent. He took part in the Looshai Expeditionary Force from December 1871 to February 1872, one of five civil officers of the Survey Department present with the expedition.

Under the Regulations then prevailing, civilians were not entitled to the proposed medal for Looshai and the Government of India initially refused to grant the award. A strong representation was made to the Secretary of State for India by, amongst others, Lords Northbrook and Napier of Magdala, which concluded: ‘

we would observe that medals were granted to the civil officers of the Survey Department for services on the North West Frontier of India and Hazara; and the Right Honourable the Commander-in-Chief is of opinion that the India medal and Looshai clasp should likewise be granted to the civil officers of the Survey Department who were employed with the Looshai Expeditionary Force, whose roll is herewith re-forwarded.’ The five civil officers were duly granted the medal and clasp (Ref Mayo pp 586-8).

In 1875, Cooke was at Jounpore in the Allahabad Division; in 1876 at Nynee Tal in Kumaon; and in 1883 at Mussooree in the N.W. Province. He was promoted to Deputy Superintendent in October 1885, to Superintendent in January 1895, and retired in December 1896. Gordon Cooke subsequently returned to England and lived at Finchley, Middlesex, where he died on 14 December 1917. With further research including a copy of the Survey Department medal roll.